COVENTRY BEES have landed the signature of highly-regarded American teenager Ryan Fisher for the 2002 season.

The 18-year-old Californian agreed terms with the Bees management this morning and was faxing a signed contract back to boss Colin Pratt at Brandon.

Fisher, a former USA Junior Champion and the winner of last month's Brighton indoor meeting, said: "I am excited to be coming to Britain, and the fact that I will be riding in the same team as Billy Janniro, and either Greg Hancock or Billy Hamill, obviously had a bearing on my decision to join Coventry.

"I am hoping to share a house with Billy Janniro so we can split all the costs. I have known him for about five years since we were both juniors together and it should be good fun living together.

"I had a few laps around the Coventry track when I came over last year and I felt comfortable with it. I liked the area as well.

"My main aim is to score as many points as I can for Coventry but I also want to do well in the World Under 21 Championship as well this year.

"I have ridden on big tracks in Poland and Germany, and in Poland it was a bit rough for me. But we also have bigger circuits for practice in America so I don't think I will have too many problems adapting to the British tracks."

Fisher becomes Coventry's fourth confirmed rider for 2002 - after Andreas Jonsson, Janniro and Stuart Robson - and the eagerly-awaited decision on whether Billy Hamill or Greg Hancock will be this year's No. 1 could add another piece to the jigsaw in the next couple of days.

Bees boss Pratt admitted: "We expect to make an announcement on the situation in the next 48 hours."

The possibility of Hamill or Hancock - whoever is released - joining Eastbourne was extinguished yesterday when the Eagles unveiled ex-Poole man Krzysztof Cegielski as their Grand Prix rider for the 2002 Elite League campaign.

It means that one of the two Americans will now find himself frozen out of British speedway this year under the newly-introduced restriction on GP riders.